Sept.-Oct: Top 10 Fall Festivals/Events in St. Augustine

The 2015 Sykes and Cooper Corn Maze was designed with alligators from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm! The maze is open Oct. 8-30, 2016 —Friday through Sunday, in Elkton off State Road 207 in St. Johns County. See more details in the event list below. Photo from www.sycofarms.com

Here’s a list of the Top 10 Festivals and Fall Events in St. Augustine and St. Johns County in the next couple of weeks. For the full fall events list, go here.

WEENIE FEST 2016

Sept.24: Welcome weenies, pet parents, and children! A wiener dog race and festival, hosted by the North Florida Dachshund Club, will be held on Sept. 24 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 5480 State Road 207, in Elkton. Food and vendors will be part of the event, and a silent auction (in which 100% of the proceeds will be donated to a Dachshund rescue). This event welcomes dogs of all breeds! Pre-register for the races and contests through at www.northfloridadachshundclub.com Races are $15 to enter and contests are $10. There will also be an admission fee of $5 or a donation (food, bowls, blankets, toys, leashes, etc.) to our partnering rescue, D.A.R.E. ( Dachshund Adoption Rescue and Education).

Race categories are as follows:
Puppy- Up to 2 years old.
Tenner Dog- 2 to 6 years old.
Adult Dog- 6 to 10 years old.
Senior Dog- 10+ years old.
Wheelie Dog- as needed.
Small Breed (20-25lbs)-as needed.

LINCOLNVILLE FESTIVAL

Sept. 24-25: The 37th year of the historic Lincolnville Festival and 150 years of the Lincolnville community will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 24, and from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, 25 at Eddie Vickers Park, 399 Riberia St., St. Augustine. Live entertainment by local and regional bands include reggae, jazz, blues, rock, gospel, and rap. Admission is FREE, with complimentary trolleys running from the parking garage both days. Go to www.mylincolnville.com for more details.

A GATHERING OF FRIENDS CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL

Sept. 25: Mark your calendars and bring the kids to Friend of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre’s Third Annual, A Gathering of Friends – Children’s Arts Festival, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Amphitheatre, 1340 A1A South, St. Augustine. The list includes 35 individuals and organizations who will share their talents with children and their families. This is a totally interactive experience and it’s FREE! Children can sing, dance, play instruments, engage in a variety of art projects, make a puppet, tell stories, play theatre games, frolic with pirates, learn magic tricks, get a library card, make a loom, join a drum circle, and lots, lots more. Concession stands will be open all day. For further information and an application to participate, e-mail Carol Gladstone at grambini1@comcast.net. FOSAA (Friends of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing usage of the Amphitheatre by the community.

PINK UP THE PACE 5K

Oct. 1: The Pink Up The Pace 5K is a walk/run for breast cancer, with proceeds going to help local women with mammograms and treatment. On race day, registration and packet pick up will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, near the downtown parking garage. The race begins at 8 a.m. at Francis Field on Saturday, Oct. 1. A race expo will be from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at First coast Technical College, 2980 Collins Ave, St. Augustine. The race expo is FREE and open to the public; race fees are $15 for ages 14 and younger in advance, $25 for adults in advance, and $30 for adults after Aug. 29. To register online, go to www.pinkupthepace.com.

DATIL PEPPER FESTIVAL

Oct. 1-2: The Datil Pepper Festival and Home and Garden Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 at the St. Johns County Agricutural Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Drive, St. Augustine. Admission and parking is FREE. A variety of vendors, both inside and outside, will showcase unique items for sale. There will also be a food court, rain barrels for sale, and the always popular Master Gardener plant sale. Tours of the arboretum and community gardens will be conducted by our Master Gardeners throughout the weekend festivities. The festival’s famous Datil Pepper Restaurant Cook-off will be held on Saturday only, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1. Local chefs will offer samples of their Datil-inspired cuisine. You will be able to purchase taste tickets for $1 per ticket. Each ticket will give you an opportunity to sample one of the dishes and vote for your favorite in each category (appetizer and entree). Ticket sales for the cook-off begin at 11 a.m. and sell out quickly. Interested in being a vendor or a sponsor for the 2016 Datil Pepper Fall Festival? Go to stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu or call 904-209-0430 for more information.

ST. AUGUSTINE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

Oct. 2: Feast on flavorful foods from 16 locally-owned restaurants in the area at the 7th Annual St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival, set for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 at The River House, 179 Marine St., downtown St. Augustine. Savor Spirits from St. Augustine Distillery Co., sample over 100 wines, enjoy a beer garden, and bid on exciting silent auction items. See details at staugustinerestaurants.com. Proceeds will benefit the The Boys & Girls Club of St. Augustine.

FIESTA DE AVILES

Oct. 7-9: St. Augustine’s favorite annual street party returns this fall on Aviles Street. Fiesta de Avilés will take place from Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9 on Avilés Street, the oldest street in the nation’s oldest city and the heart of St. Augustine’s original art district. With three days of live music, art exhibits, music, dancing, costumes, and a special “Running of the Bulls,” the Fiesta is a celebration of St. Augustine’s Spanish heritage. Admission is FREE to all events.

EVENTS SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct. 7
The Fiesta de Avilés begins with First Friday Art Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7. With 7 art galleries, Aviles Street has become a hub for the art community to share and appreciate the wealth of local talent. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum also will participate, with artisans and artists in the gardens.

Saturday, Oct. 8
Events will include live music on the Avilés Street Stage from 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Music and dancing includes First Coast Flamenco, followed by local music favorite Luis Mario and his Latin Jazz Band.

The annual Running of the Bulls begins at 3 p.m. with a children’s race at 3 p.m. and the adult race at 3:30 p.m. This event is a twist on the Spanish custom — in St. Augustine, participants are chased by special guests in “bull” costumes in a sprint down Avilés Street. Everyone is invited to participate, and prizes are offered by the Aviles Street merchants for the winners.

The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum will be hosting local artisans and artists in their garden throughout the day.

Sunday, Oct. 9
Photographer Rick McAllister will be giving a special presentation and photo exhibit titled ‘Walking Across Spain on the Camino de Santiago’ at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9 in Trinity Hall meeting room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 215 Saint George St., downtown St. Augustie. Rick walked the 500-mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela over a 7- week period. He traveled through some of Spain’s most beautiful areas, from the Pyrenees, through the vineyards of the wine country and finally to Galicia.

GREEK FESTIVAL

Oct. 7-9: The St. Augustine Greek Festival celebrates all things Greek — food, music, dancing and heritage. The annual event is held at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, downtown St. Augustine. Live music will be on stage throughout the weekend, with dance performances, a dance floor for the public, an outdoor marketplace, children’s activities and more. Admission is $3 for adults, with free admission for children ages 3 to 12 and active military. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Go to www.stauggreekfest.com for more details.

CORN MAZE & MORE

Oct. 8-30: Nine acres of a local farm becomes Sykes & Cooper Corn Maze each year — with live music, the maze, games such as a corn cannon, live animals and more at 5995 Brough Road in Elkton, just off State Road 207. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Cost is $10 for ages 3 to 64; $7 for seniors and military with ID; and free for ages 2 and younger. Admission is CASH ONLY. Theme days are included, with Homeschool Day set for Oct. 5. Live music will be offered from 7 to 10 p.m. on certain Saturday nights. Go to www.sycofarms.com for more details.

OKTOBERFEST

Oct. 15: Oktoberfest by the Sertoma Club of St. Augustine will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, downtown St. Augustine. German food, beer, live music, and vendors will be part of this event. Admission is $5, and free for children under age 10. Go to www.saintaugustinesertoma.org to learn more about Sertoma.